


EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE

by yeolallineed



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Grim Reapers, M/M, Magic, Memory Loss, Soulmates, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-13 03:33:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19242964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolallineed/pseuds/yeolallineed
Summary: ONE SHOT (Short Story)Baekhyun is dead.Chanyeol is a wandering soul with a debt to pay.He has come to collect Baekhyun's soul.





	1. Chapter 1

' _Am I dead?_ '

This was the first thought Baekhyun had after he opened his eyes. He could hear the faint sirens of an ambulance, fading further and further.

He then looked down at his lifeless body, lying among the debris that looked like the broken pieces of his car's window. ' _Yep, I most definitely am dead'._ He wondered if he should be happy or sad about it.

Living a fairly rough life for all the 20 years that he had been living, the prospect of death did not seem that scary to him. In fact he had never been scared of death ever. What he actually feared was what would come after death. So far, there was nothing particularly special that about it so far.

From what he had read in book and seen in movies, he was supposed to cross over. Wasn't he? So why was he still here? Standing there and looking at his body lying on the floor, there was one thing he was certain of, that he didn't want to die like this.

In that moment of realization, Baekhyun thought of the way he could have lead a better life. He had always been too giving, too yielding and too cowardly. He wasn't like that before, but the world is cruel to kids whose parents die when they're young. Despite how this was supposed to make him stronger, Baekhyun ended up being too self conscious of himself, drawing away from people. Everyone who knew him from the time his parents were alive, called him the 'Black Mark'. Initially he didn't even know what that was. But as he grew up, he started paying attention to whispers behind his back and the scared looks of people when he entered the room.

With time, he found out that the term was used for someone who was like a curse to others. It was like his company marked people with darkness and curse future.

Growing up around people who treated his like he was a curse himself, made Baekhyun detach from people. In time, he started believing what he had always heard about himself at the orphanage and cut himself off from the world. The fear that he constantly had, was not for his own self, but for people around him. A voice at the back of his head constantly questioned his, what if he really was a curse?

Now the he was dead, the curse would be broken right? He wondered how many people would remember him or cry for him. None. He knew it. If anything, they'd be happy that the world rid itself of him.

To die at an age of 20 wasn't really something he had ever planned for himself but he wasn't sure if living for more would do him any good at all.

Moving around the car in circles, he realized that he died because of a huge impact. Something had crashed into the car he was driving.

 _Wait,_ he thought looking around.  _Where am I?._

That's when reality hit him.

Suddenly he remembered the sirens from earlier. Turning his gaze around his, he realized that he was not on the main road, but the impact had propelled the car deep into the forest by the side of the road.

There was no way the ambulance could have seen the car and chosen to leave him there. He looked around once again, but there was no one else around. His eyes panned to his own body once again.

' _How long have I been lying like this?_ ' he thought, looking around desperately for some help. There was no one else around expect the chilling darkness. Even though he believed he deserved to die, he definitely didn't deserve to be left alone in the forest like this.

It seemed pretty lousy to have died this way, deep in the forest, out in the cold, unseen and unheard. Although he couldn't feel anything, he could still feel the night's chill creeping up on the back of his neck.

It got colder as the night ascended. The thick mist looked dreamy, floating across the velvety forest floor. The moon hung high in the sky. Somehow he was sure it was way past midnight. He didn't even know why he was hopeful that someone would show up. He felt that he could still be saved.

Not knowing what else to do, he decided to pray to whoever was ready to listen. He prayed with everything he had in him, still doubtful if he would be heard.

Suddenly, the air cleared. The mist disappeared and the clouds gathered to hide the moon. A lightening cracked across the clouds as the air around became drier and colder.

He looked straight into the heart of the forest and felt something coming close to him. He wondered if he should run in the opposite direction. He didn't know what it was, but it freaked him out.

As it approached nearer, he could see a hooded figure that seamlessly floated across the forest. The figure that stood in front of his looked otherworldly. It has the silhouette of a man, but it gave off the impression of something demonic. The loosely hung black robe across its body was exhuming the feeling of cold and darkness which seemed to have no escape. He tightened his fists and froze at the sight of it.

'Wha... what are you?' he asked, gathering all the courage he could find.

The hooded figure lifted its head, 'I am the Grim Reaper' it said, in a coarse, grainy voice, like the sound of wood rubbing against wood.

Scared of what stood in front of him, Baekhyun fell on his knees and closed his eyes, as if begging.

'Please don't kill me' he said.

'You're already dead' the reaper replied.

' _Oh... right_ ' Baekhyun thought. He was already dead. So there was no way he could harm him. If he just ran away, he could escape this monstrous thing.

Just as the idea hit him, he turned around and ran as fast as he could, not wanting to look back at the chilling entity that stood behind him.

The Grim Reaper looked at him trying to escape and sighed.

"I told you this won't work" he said loudly into thin air.

Just as the Reaper spoke, another figure ascended from behind the darkness of the forest, floating amidst the fog.

"Maybe you could notch down the coldness a little Chanyeol" the other entity said.

Chanyeol looked at him and raised his eyebrows. "That's my normal tone. Also, why do I need to say I'm the Grim Reaper when I am not?"

"Do you think the souls will go with you if you say something like 'Hi I am Chanyeol and I would like to take you to heaven'?"

The later shook his head. He still couldn't believe he said yes to this.

"I don't think he'll listen to anyone" he said. "You're the actual Grim Reaper Junmyeon, this is your job, not mine"

Junmyeon smiled. "We made a deal Chanyeol. Information in exchange for you collecting souls for me. You wanted to know why you haven't ascended from earth yet. And I gave you that information. So now you have to live up to your end of the bargain"

Chanyeol shook his head. "You did not even give me enough information. All you said was my soul still has some unfinished business"

Everything about this situation was confusing. Chanyeol had been dead for over a hundred years and no matter how many times the real Grim Reaper had tried, Chanyeol's soul didn't ascend from the world. Since Chanyeol had no memory of his life before death, he didn't even know what he was supposed to do.

"I need to know what unfinished business I have"

"You'll know soon" Junmyeon said. "For now, get Baekhyun"

Chanyeol sighed in defeat. He knew he would never win against Junmyeon. But he was not the one to walk by other's terms.

"Fine" he said, talking the black hood off. "But I am not wearing this"

Chanyeol threw the black velvety pile of cloth towards Junmyeon and started to walk towards Baekhyun.

"But why?" Junmyeon's voice called after him. "It gives off extra effect"

Baekhyun was still running away from the Grim Reaper he had seen earlier and yet he felt like he wasn't really going anywhere. He kept turning around to see if he was being followed but there was no one there.

Just when he had tuned to look back, Baekhyun bumped into something hard and strong and fell to the ground.

'Ow' he said as he winced on the leafy ground, holding his hand to his head where he had hit the object.

'Get up you fool. You're dead. You can't feel pain'

He opened his eyes and looked at the source of the voice, a little embarrassed by the failed stunt he just pulled. Chanyeol stood over him, staring in utter disappointment.

Baekhyun got on his feet and looked at him. The reaper had taken his hood off and Baekhyun noticed the marble like face that was hidden under it. He had a long face with a smooth jaw line. His lips were like the waves in the ocean, perfectly proportioned and the dark hair that fell across his face, made him look like one of the knights that you read about in books. His ears struck out the most and Baekhyun found himself lost in the details that the said Grim Reaper carried.

Although the Grim Reaper was a stunner, his face was pale and devoid of emotions. But what struck Baekhyun most were his eyes. For someone who collected souls, his eyes looked soulless and lost. But he looked more human than he had done previously.

'Do you really think you can run away from me?' Chanyeol asked curiously, glancing behind him to see Junmyeon holding up both his thumbs to Chanyeol. Apparently he was doing a good job.

Baekhyun hung his head low and sighed. 'If you're the Grim Reaper... does that mean I have to go with you?'

Chanyeol nodded. "Also... you can call me Chanyeol"

Baekhyun's eyes shot up at him. "You... you have a name?"

It was a very basic question but Chanyeol didn't really know how the whole system worked in heaven and hell so he chose not to reply.

He could feel Junmyeon shaking his head in disappointment even with his eyes closed.

'Let's see now...' he said, pulling out what looked like a book from under his robes. The book looked ancient and worn out and the binding were coming apart. He flipped a few pages and finally landed on the page he was looking for. Placing his cold long index finger on top of the page, he scanned from top to bottom.

Something mustn't have made sense because he looked confused. He moved his eyes to Baekhyun who was also trying to see what the Grim Reaper was reading and looked at his records again. Clearing his throat, he flipped another page and scanned it top to bottom.

'How is this possible?' he said to himself.

'What? What happened?' Baekhyun asked hesitantly.

The Grim Reaper looked at him in surprise. 'What's your name?'

"Why?" Baekhyun immediately asked. "Shouldn't you have my name in the paper?"

He tried to hover over the book Chanyeol was staring at but he closed it immediately.

Baekhyun wondered what would happen if he didn't tell him his name.

"Is my name on the paper?" he asked when Chanyeol refused to reply. But even there, there was no answer.

'What's the matter?' Baekhyun called out to him.

Chanyeol stood there, staring blankly at the soul he thought he was there to collect.

Baekhyun reached up to him. Grabbing his arm, he flung him to turn, facing his.

'Tell me what's wrong. Please. I am scared and cold. Please just tell me what is going on.'

Chanyeol had no clue what the next step was.

Staring straight into Baekhyun's eyes, Chanyeol showed no emotion except being shocked. He did not know what to say, what to do. He tore his eyes away from Baekhyun to behind him, hoping Junmyeon would intervene.

But the moment he looked behind, he found Junmyeon gone. He had just disappeared, leaving Chanyeol to deal with this whole situation himself.

By then, Baekhyun had begun to panic. He had started mumbling something about being stuck on earth forever and not being able to cross over.

'Do you remember anything from before your death? Like how you died?' Chanyeol asked, holding his in both his arms and shaking his a little to stop his from his endless blabber.

Baekhyun took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He tried to collect his thoughts and remember. He shook his head. His memories were intact till the moment he got into the car but he wasn't sure what happened after that or how he got in an accident or when.

Chanyeol released him from his hands, sighing loudly. He then turned towards Baekhyun and stared at him regretfully.

'I...' Chanyeol began. 'I have no record for your death'. His voice had changed. It did not carry the same coarse texture as before. It was softer now, sympathetic and soft to the ears.

'What do you mean you have no record?' Baekhyun asked looking at him, demanding to know more.

'The time and location are both accurate, but your name's not here.

'What does that even mean?'

'It means you were not supposed to die today'.

 


	2. Chapter 2

When Baekhyun's head stopped spinning and he could no longer feel the earth move below his feet, he gathered all his energy and turned towards Chanyeol, moving closer to him.

'Why the hell am I dead if I wasn't supposed to die today?' he yelled, grabbing the reaper by his collar and shaking him back and forth. Although he was a little glad he was dead, the entire situation was not in his favour.

'Get your hands off me' Chanyeol retorted, trying to hold Baekhyun's hands and shaking them off. But his fist was too tight.

'I am going to kill you' he said with a rage in his eyes that startled even him.

'You can't kill me silly boy' Chanyeol said with a smirk on his face.

'Watch me'.

Chanyeol's eyes widened. 'It was not a dare' he quickly replied, now standing very still and placing his hands at the back of Baekhyun's neck.

He pulled him closer to his face and looked straight into his eyes. The hands that were pulling his collar, now rested on top of his chest. The fake reaper could feel the heaving of Baekhyun's chest against his own and it made him feel uneasy. He looked at his face that now glowed against the fading light of the moon.

He had a round face and big, bright eyes that could lighten anyone's day. His small nose and pointy chin complimented the face that could perhaps fit in the reaper's palm. His lips had faded marks from when he was biting into them when he was scared earlier. Chanyeol almost wanted to touch his bruise and ask his if it hurts.

He pulled him closed and leaned in. Chanyeol could feel every part of Baekhyun become stiff. If he had a heart, it would probably be beating like it would burst. He could still feel the rise and fall of his chest against his own.

'Stop fighting me' he whispered into his ears. 'You won't win'.

Baekhyun struggled in his arms and tried to free himself. Chanyeol then wrapped both his hands around Baekhyun and held him tightly in his arms.

'What... What are you doing?' he yelled, still struggling to break free.

'Shhhh' the Chanyeol said. 'Stay still for a moment'.

Baekhyun obeyed without even knowing why. After the passing of a moment that hardly lasted more than a few seconds, Chanyeol then released him.

Embarrassed by what had just happened, Baekhyun looked down at the ground. If he were alive, his blush would have made things pretty obvious.

'What was that?' he asked softly.

'I was checking something' Chanyeol said in the same cold voice from before, staring at him.

Baekhyun met Chanyeol's gaze and looked down to see what he was talking about. His jaw opened in shock and he covered his chest with both his hands.

'Are you a pervert?' he asked in disbelief.

Chanyeol looked up to his face and then down again. 'What? No. No!' he said defending his words. 'I meant the rise and fall of your chest'

Baekhyun looked down. 'What about them?'

'You're still doing them'

'Yea so?'

'So you're supposed to be dead. You don't need to breathe or do... that' he said, grimacing while pointing to Baekhyun's moving chest.

'I died like 3 minutes ago. I think you can cut me some slack' he said, folding his arms in front of him.

'That's the thing. When you die, your soul automatically knows when to stop. I have never seen any soul breathing after they're dead.

Baekhyun's eye shot up. 'Never?' he asked.

Chanyeol shook his head. 'Not once'

In the past thousand years that he had walked earth, he had encountered many souls; some with Junmyeon, some on his own. He usually avoided their gazes because wandering ghosts were quick to cling to anyone who could see them. But in all these years that Chanyeol had come across them, he hadn't seen a single soul who was still breathing.

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol and raised his eyebrows in amusement. He must have realized something because he immediately turned around to run.

'Oi, where are you going? You can't escape me you know'

Baekhyun did not listen and kept running till he reached the car that had crashed. Chanyeol soon appeared behind his.

'What are you doing?' he asked.

Baekhyun turned towards him. 'Check... check if I am still alive'

'What? Listen, you are not alive. You died. That's your dead body'.

'Stop arguing. Just check if I am alive. There is a reason why I am still breathing even though my soul has left me. So just check and find out.' He said pulling Chanyeol's arms towards his lifeless body.

Chanyeol reluctantly knelt down and placed his fingers on the wrist of Baekhyun's body and closed his eyes. He could hear nothing. The night was so quiet that his own thoughts were louder. Baekhyun's soul hovered over his head, looking for signs for life himself.

'Anything?' he asked, hopefully.

'Let me concentrate' he responded sternly.

Baekhyun immediately shut himself up and sat quite far away from him to let him work in peace.

Chanyeol had now moved his fingers from his wrists to his neck. Upon firmly placing them, he could feel, what was a very faint pulse.

He immediately stood up as Baekhyun came rushing towards him. 'What... what happened?'

'You... you're still alive' he said faintly. 'It's a weak pulse, but it is there' he said, looking at Baekhyun now.

Baekhyun let out the breath he had been holding. 'I am alive? I can be saved?"

A million thoughts ran through Baekhyun's head in that moment. He weighed if staying alive would be better or for him to remain dead. So far, he was a Nameless Soul in Chanyeol's book and if that remained the case, he would rather wander on earth as a living human than as a ghost. 

"Quick put me back inside my body" he said, looking at the Chanyeol pleadingly.

'Do you think I am your personal secretary to do whatever you ask me to?' he snapped back at him.

Baekhyun looked disappointed. 'But I need to do something. I can't just lie here half dead.'

'Sure. I agree. You have to do something.' Chanyeol nodded. Pulling his hands out, he asked Baekhyun to hold it. 'So come with me and cross over'

'What?' Baekhyun looked at him in disbelief. 'You don't even know my name. What would you do with my soul even if you took me? Besides, I am still alive'

"Barely" Chanyeol said with a smirk and a wink. "You will be dead soon."

"Hence I want to go back so that I can be... undead"

Chanyeol was starting to get annoyed. He had a job to do, a soul to collect and hand over to Junmyeon and he hated that it was taking so much time. He had seen Junmyeon take souls many times. Once he made the souls see their bodies, they spent a few minutes in disbelief and shock, but once that phase was over, they went with him happily. Well not happily per say. But there wasn't much drama with them.

'Listen boy' he said, pointing his index finger at hims as if trying to discipline Baekhyun. 'I am here to collect a soul and I will. I don't care if it wasn't meant to be you. I have a delivery to make. So get yourself sorted before we ascend.'

Baekhyun thought for a moment. Will dying be really that bad? Maybe he will escape his shitty life and be happy in heaven. It will probably be full of lush green and pretty clouds and people wearing white, eating, drinking and being happy all the time. The thought seemed effortlessly neat to his. But would he be going to heaven?

'Ahem'... 'I have a question first' he said, contemplating his choices.

'Go ahead'

'Am I going to hell or heaven?'

Chanyeol pulled his records out and checked. "Since you're a nameless soul" he began as Baekhyun's face turned hopeful. "You'll be going to purgatory"

 


	3. Chapter 3

' _Is this real?_ ' Baekhyun thought after hearing that he would be going to not heaven, not even hell, but purgatory and all because he was not in a freaking list.

He tried to pinch himself and started laughing hysterically. 'Of course this is a dream. I can't feel anything. I am definitely asleep' he said amidst his laughs.

'You're not dreaming. You can't feel anything because you're dead' Chanyeol said with a straight face, bringing him back to reality. 'And it's time to go' he continued, pulling Baekhyun by his arms.

Baekhyun immediately jerked his hand away from him. 'I am not going anywhere. You know as well as I do that if my name isn't there, it means I wasn't supposed to die. Why would I go with you especially when I am still alive?'

'That's debatable' Chanyeol said passively.

'No it's not. I am right there...' Baekhyun said pointing at his body inside the crashed car, '...still breathing'

Chanyeol sighed. 'I should have zapped you when you tried to run. None of this would have happened and I could have delivered at least 20 other souls in the meantime.'

Something seemed strange to Baekhyun. 'Why are you so adamant on taking me with you when you know I am supposed to live?'

Chanyeol did not know. All he knew was that he had a job to do and he would do it. The rising frustration on the Chanyeol's face was starting to reveal itself. But he did not say anything.

'I am not going with you' Baekhyun said, crossing his arms. 'I will wander on earth as a ghost but I won't let you take me to purgatory'

'Fine' Chanyeol said and Baekhyun looked at him in surprise. He didn't expect him to yield so easily.

'You can remain a ghost but do you know what'll happen?' Chanyeol's tone was almost like a dare.

'You'll be alone and lonely and you'll desperately try to find people who can see you. Soon you will fail and with time, you will lose purpose. You'll disintegrate with time and keep becoming evil till there is no soul left in your soul.'

Chills ran down Baekhyun's spine. He didn't want to end up that way. But he didn't want to go to purgatory either. Wouldn't being an evil spirit be much better than being stuck in a place worse than hell?

'It's okay. I would rather stay' Baekhyun replied quickly.

Baekhyun's response shocked Chanyeol. Chanyeol failed to understand why Baekhyun was being so stupid. The only reason Chanyeol was able to still ward off evilness from his was because of the mark Junmyeon gave it. There was no way he would give Baekhyun the same mark.

After Chanyeol had dies, Junmyeon warned Chanyeol that he too would become evil if he wandered on earth for long but since even Junmyeon was unable to take Chanyeol's soul to where it belonged, they had settled on a finding a way to let Chanyeol be as close to humanity as possible while he was still here. That's what when Junmyeon marked him.

Involuntarily, Chanyeol's hands reached out to the strange but faded mark on his forearm.

"What is that?" Baekhyun said, immediately holding Chanyeol's hand and pulling him close.

Baekhyun looked at the mark that strangely took the shape of a phoenix.

"That..." Baekhyun's voice trailed off like a sudden realization hit him like a wave.

He tore his eyes from Chanyeol's hand and looked straight into his eyes.

"How do you have that mark?" Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol did not say anything. He couldn't let Baekhyun know that it was a mark given to him by Junmyeon. He couldn't let Baekhyun know any of it because Chanyeol was afraid Baekhyun would choose the same fate as his and for some reason, Chanyeol found himself having unsettled feelings when he thought about it. 

He tried to pull his arm back but Baekhyun would not let it go.

"Tell he how you got that mark"

"What does it matter?" Chanyeol asked in frustration. "Why do you care how I got it"

Baekhyun stared at him in disbelief before pulling his own arm out and placing it right next to Chanyeol.

"Because I have the same mark" he breathed out. "I was born with it"

Chanyeol's eyes fell on Baekhyun's hand which, to his surprise, contained the same phoenix like figure etched on his skin. He looked up from Baekhyun's hand and back to his face.

"How... how is this possible?" he asked in complete haze. "The marks are exactly the same"

Before any of them could answer, another series of lightening cracked through the sky. The heaviness in the air shifted rapidly and the moon hid itself behind the clouds again.

Chanyeol turned his eyes to his right and found a hooded figure walking towards them.

Baekhyun, scared of the unknown, his himself behind Chanyeol.

"It's okay" Chanyeol said, surprised by the sudden concern that had risen in his voice for the boy. "I know him"

Junmyeon walked towards them with an empathetic smile.

As Junmyeon approached near, Chanyeol noticed there was something strange about him. He was not wearing his black robes any longer. Instead, he was covered in white.

"What happened to your clothes?" Chanyeol asked curiously.

"I decided to dress for the occasion" Junmyeon smiled.

Chanyeol was confused and so was Baekhyun.

"Are you here to take me?" Baekhyun asked innocently.

Junmyeon averted his eyes from Chanyeol to the boy beside him. "Do you want me to take you?"

Chanyeol did not know why, but he found himself standing between Junmyeon and Baekhyun, shielding the latter.

"You are not taking him anywhere. He is still alive"

Junmyeon looked at the Baekhyun's body and raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you put him back?"

Chanyeol opened his mouth to answer but he did not have any.

"Just let him go. I will deliver other souls for you, as many as you want. Just let him live"

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol in shock. "You're... you're not the Grim Reaper?"

Chanyeol turned away from Junmyeon and looked at Baekhyun, slowly shaking his head.

"I am a wandering soul. I was just ordered to do this job and deliver you to him. He's the Grim Reaper" he said, pointing at Junmyeon.

Junmyeon closed his eyes and shook his head. "You have this completely wrong Chanyeol. I only ordered you because it was you who sought me out. It was all you from the beginning"

Chanyeol looked at Junmyeon with conflicted thoughts. "What do you mean?"

Junmyeon sighed. "In all these years that you have been a wandering soul, you have never once asked me why you were still stuck here. Until a week ago. You have, from the beginning, accepted it that you are supposed to be here, stuck, perhaps forever. It was only last week that you suddenly wanted to know why"

"So?"

"So it was you who went looking for me, demanding answers"

"Which you never gave me"

Junmyeon raised his hand and pointed at Baekhyun. "Here is your answer"

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun who seemed to be as lost as he was. 

"He is your unfinished business. He is the debt you owe to yourself, to him and to the universe" Junmyeon said.

Baekhyun tugged on Chanyeol's hand, still scared of what was happening. When Baekhyun touched him, something rose inside of his heart that was supposed to be dead. It was only then that Chanyeol realised how he had started looking less like a soul and more like a human with each passing second with Baekhyun. And now, there was a feeling inside of his heart he had not felt for over a century.

Holding Chanyeol's arms gave Baekhyun the strength he was looking for. "Can you speak in terms we can understand?"

These words made Junmyeon chuckle. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrows at those words. "Have we met before?"

Junmyeon nodded, still laughing. "We have"

Baekhyun had no recollection of any such meetings whatsoever.

"What did you mean when you said I am the debt he owes? Did we know each other too?"

Junmyeon nodded again. "You did"

"When? I have no memory of this"

"That's how it is intended to be"

None of what Junmyeon said made sense to either Chanyeol or Baekhyun and Junmyeon knew he wasn't reaching anywhere with these two.

"Do you want to find out how you two know each other?"

Neither of them replied. Chanyeol was too scared to find out because if just being near Baekhyun affected him so deeply that his soul was returning to it's original human nature so rapidly, he didn't know what would happen if he found out what he had forgotten.

As for Baekhyun, he wasn't sure how this would help him. All he wanted to do was go back and live his life out.

"Well?" Junmyeon asked again. "Do you?"

"Yes" suddenly came out both their voices in unison which was surprising not only to each other but also to themselves.

"Very well" Junmyeon said, pulling two bindings out from his robes, handing one to each of them.

They had each of their named embossed on the leathery cover that binding.

"What are these?" Chanyeol asked. 

"They're your books"

Both of them opened the books and flipped the pages but to their utter dismay, there was nothing inside.

"They're blank" Baekhyun said.

"You need to destroy them for your memories to return"

"How?" Chanyeol asked, knowing very well that both of them were dead and they couldn't do much about it.

"By burning them in holy fire"

Before they could ask what Junmyeon mean, the latter snapped his finger and suddenly a bolt of lightening struck a tree on their left, setting it ablaze.

"There you go" he said.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun waked over to the tree, throwing the books in.

The moment the fire touched the books, both Chanyeol and Baekhyun's mind went blank and a loud pitching noise pierced their mind. Each of then sunk to the ground with the sudden deafening noise.

And then... their memories returned.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*******************************

A FEW THOUSAND YEARS AGO

*******************************

"Who set heaven on fire?" roared a loud voice in heaven on a particularly calm day that had just been upturned.

Junmyeon came rushing upon hearing the voice.

"Kyungsoo" he said, looking at a very mad god pacing fiercely. "What's wrong?"

Junmyeon eye's panned the place and he found that the Garden of Bliss was burning like it was the end of the universe.

Kyungsoo, the God of Earth looked mad with rage. "Was it them? It was them, wasn't it?"

Junmyeon understood immediately whom Kyungsoo meant by  _'them'_.

"I am not sure" Junmyeon said. "I will have to check"

The God of Earth shook his head. "You have spoiled them too much"

Junmyeon smiled. "Calm down. There is nothing that can't be controlled"

With these words, Junmyeon, the God of Water used his power to put and end to the fire that had burned half of Kyungsoo's garden down.

Once the work was done, Junmyeon looked at Kyungsoo who now had moved on from looking mad to looking hurt.

"My precious garden" he said with a soft cry.

Junmyeon patted Kyungsoo on his back. "You're the god of Earth. I am sure you can grow it back. Plus, you love gardening and farming and things no one else likes"

Kyungsoo shot a deadly glare at the God of Water.

"I better go check on them" Junmyeon said before Kyungsoo got even more mad.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Junmyeon searched through half of heaven and finally reached the Valley of Mist.

"You two are here, aren't you?" he called out.

At first there was no reply.

"I will count to three. You two better come out or I will send Kyungsoo to search for you"

"One..."

There was no movement.

"Two..."

Nothing still.

"Thr..."

"I'm here" came out a voice from amidst the mist.

"I am sure you are not alone Chanyeol" Junmyeon said, "Where is Baekhyun?"

"I am here too" came out another voice.

The two of them slowly walked out of the mist into the clearing and stood in front of Junmyeon.

"Did you two set Kyungsoo's garden on fire?"

None of them answered. Junmyeon, the God of Water always treated Chanyeol and Baekhyun his his younger brother and in the process, spoiled them bit too much.

"Don't you think you two should have been more careful? Especially you Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun opened his mouth to speak but decided not to.

Junmyeon looked disappointed at the both of them.

"I always knew the God of Light and the God of Fire dating each other would result in disaster" he said, shaking his head.

Both their eyes shot up. "Wait... you knew?" Baekhyun asked in surprise.

Junmyeon laughed. "I have seen the two of you grow up in front of me. Of course I knew"

"Who else knows?" Chanyeol asked.

Junmyeon shrugged. "I guess everyone"

"And they're all okay with it?" Baekhyun questioned. He never thought everyone would so easily be on board with them being together.

"They're all okay as long as you don't destroy heaven" Junmyeon mocked, making both Chanyeol and Baekhyun laugh before they apologized for their actions.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Let me go with you" Chanyeol said, once Baekhyun and him were seated in the latter's chamber.

Baekhyun shook his head. "It's too dangerous Chanyeol. You haven't even learned to control your power yet"

"It's too dangerous for you too Baek. Do you think I can sit back and watch you do this alone?"

The God of Light walked over to Chanyeol and cupped his face in his hands. He placed a soft peck on his forehead and smiled.

"You worry too much" he said.

"I worry just the right amount but I worry about you a lot" Chanyeol confessed.

Baekhyun smiled. "There is nothing to worry about though. I have everything under control"

The God of Fire didn't look convinced. "It's the Darkness, Baek. You can't fight it alone"

"Umm... I think you've forgotten that I am the God of Light. A measly entity such as Darkness stands no chance. Plus there will be other gods down there with me too"

Chanyeol caught hold of Baekhyun's arm and turned him around to make him sit on his lap. He then hugged Baekhyun from behind, placing the side of his face on Baekhyun's back.

"Please let me come with you" he pleaded.

Baekhyun took Chanyeol's hands in his and squeezed them tight before kissing them.

"I won't be able to fight with you there Chanyeol. You being in danger will always have me worried. I need to know you're safe here for me to be able to use my strength when I am down there"

Baekhyun turned around. "Don't worry. I'll be fine"

With these words, Baekhyun pulled Chanyeol in for a kiss, letting his instincts go wild with desire and passion. He cherished every passing second when their lips were crashing against each other like they wouldn't get a second chance.

Baekhyun tasted eternity in those few minutes that they spent kissing each other, losing all their senses one after the other.

"Tell me how much you love me" Baekhyun said, pulling away from the kiss and staring straight into Chanyeol's eyes.

"More and more with every breath you take"

Baekhyun smiled. He loved hearing Chanyeol voice but he loved hearing these words the most.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Next day, Baekhyun was ready to descend down to earth and battle Darkness that had corrupted every life form there. The world was going mad with the evil that loomed over them. The Darkness fed on fear and it thrived on chaos. Two things that were amply found on earth.

"Baek" Chanyeol called out before Baekhyun was about to leave.

The God of Light turned around and found Chanyeol standing there with a very worried face.

"Be careful, please"

"I will" Baekhyun said placing a hand on Chanyeol's cheeks. "Don't worry okay?" 

The God of Fire nodded, pursing his lips, revealing the dimple that Baekhyun knew he had to return to be able to see again.

Chanyeol reached into his robes and pulled out the pendant that laid on his chest. Taking it off, he gave it to Baekhyun.

"Take this with you"

Baekhyun stared at the golden phoenix figure that Chanyeol had given him. "Chanyeol... No. This is your father's"

Chanyeol nodded. "And I want you to have it. I want you to keep it with you. It will keep you safe Baek, just like it has protected me all this while. It will remind you that you need to come back to me"

Baekhyun could see that Chanyeol was on the verge of tearing up and if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to control his own feelings either.

"Promise me you'll come back" Chanyeol said, staking his head against Baekhyun's with his hand on the nape of his neck.

"I promise" Baekhyun whispered. 

Taking the phoenix pendant and keeping is safe under his robes, Baekhyun pulled Chanyeol down for one final kiss before descending down to earth.

"I love you" Baekhyun said into the kiss.

Before Chanyeol would say the same words back, Baekhyun was gone.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chanyeol was still in his chamber, pacing rapidly when Junmyeon walked in. 

"Chanyeol" the God of Water said. Chanyeol stopped pacing and rushed over to Junmyeon.

"Is Baek back? What happened? Is he alright?"

Junmyeon did not answer. He was looking at Chanyeol with a gaped mouth but there were no words. 

"Chanyeol..." he finally managed to say. "I am sorry. The Darkness was too strong for even the gods to handle. It... it was closing in and... had already killed two gods when..." For some reason, Junmyeon was not able to complete what he was saying.

"When what?" Chanyeol asked.

Junmyeon still did not how to say it.

"When what Junmyeon?" Chanyeol found himseld yelling and shaking the God of Water to make him speak.

"When..." Junmyeon began with a very heavy voice "...when Baekhyun sacrificed himself to kill the Darkness"

Chanyeol went numb the moment Junmyeon's words hit his ears. He did not even realise when his knees gave out and he sunk to the floor, absorbing the intensity of what he had just heard.

The words hit Chanyeol so hard that even his tears betrayed him.

He just sat on the cold floor, numb and thoughtless.

After what seemed like an eternity, Junmyeon's voice reached out to Chanyeol.

"... get a grip of yourself Chanyeol"

"Chanyeol... can you hear me?"

Chanyeol blinked and turned his head towards the God of Water.

"It's not true Junmyeon. Baekhyun is not dead. I know he will come back"

"I am sorry Chanyeol, but he won't come back"

"You're wrong. Baekhyun promised he'll come back to me, you know he always keeps his promises"

Junmyeon did not have an answer. "I am sorry was all he could say"

"I did not get to say it back" Chanyeol said, looking at him. "He said he loved me but before I could say it back, he was gone. I know he will come back because he has to hear me say it. He needs to know that I love him"

Junmyeon hugged Chanyeol in a warm embrace, like a mother protecting her child.

"I am sure he already knew that Chanyeol. I am sure he knew how much you loved him"

All the tears, all the emotions that had been subconsciously blocked by Chanyeol, suddenly found themselves flowing out upon hearing those words.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


No one anticipated what happened next. The Darkness was stronger than what any of the gods in heaven had anticipated.

When Baekhyun had sacrificed himself to kill it, the Darkness did not perish. Instead, it was only subdued and Chanyeol went mad with rage when he found out that Baekhyun's sacrifice was for nothing. Chanyeol would not let Baekhyun's sacrifice go to waste, not as long as he was alive.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Heaven and all the gods in it were rattled by what had happened. In a fir of mad rage and uncontrolled fury, Chanyeol had set out to kill Darkness himself.

But it came with a lot of collateral damage.

The battle ended up killing Darkness but it also ended up killing many innocent people on earth.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


By the sacred laws of Heaven, Chanyeol was tried for punishment seeming fit for what he had done.

Kyungsoo who sat in the middle, looked at Chanyeol and felt an aching. Chanyeol was his brother, his friend and even though they were always on the opposite ends of a stick, he knew the kind of heart Chanyeol carried and he knew his own would break when punishing him.

But there was no other choice. There was nothing more important that the lives of innocent people who had been sacrificed while Chanyeol set out to kill Darkness. And it was not even Kyungsoo's own decision. It was the Supreme God, the entity that ruled every aspect of the universe, the God of Gods who had laid out the Punishment for Chanyeol.

And no one could go against it. 

"You will be sent to earth, to live within your own destruction" Kyungsoo said, reading from a scroll, in the Hall of Justice where Chanyeol stood in the middle, surrounded by all the gods.

"You will have an ill-fated life and you will keep living it again and again for thousands of years"

The God of Fire did not say a word. He was ready for everything that the other gods would unleash on him. He was aware of his actions and was drowning in his own guilt of killing innocent people, every day. He was ready for whatever punishment they would give him. Chanyeol just stood there, like a dead soul, eyes hollow with emptiness, hearing everything that was being told to him.

Kyungsoo continued to read from the scroll. "In every birth, you will be reunited with the one you loved so dearly"

Chanyeol's eyes suddenly showed some light of hope. 

"but..." Kyungsoo added before his voice suddenly trailed, off.

There was dead silence in the hall. 

"Keep reading" a divine voice echoed through the room. A voice that had no source but was also present and absent at the same time. It was the Supreme God's voice.

"... you will always separate. You would always be present in the same place, in the same era and yet fate will never be on your side. You will crave for the other but you will never know who you're craving for. You will live separate lives, always knowing that you're missing something. You will experience this feeling of heartbreak over and over again until you have felt enough for those that you killed in your selfish battle of rage"

Chanyeol looked at Kyungsoo in shock. He knew it was not his fault, he knew the orders belonged to someone else, and yet he found himself being hurt by Kyungsoo more than anyone else. How could he read that? How could he go on reading, knowing that Baekhyun would suffer with him too. How could he continue, knowing that none of it was Baekhyun's fault? How could he just stand by and do nothing?

Kyungsoo swallowed a lump in his throat. This was all too cruel. He could feel his own voice betraying him but he knew he had to continue.

"You will repent for thousands of years until your sins wash off"

Kyungsoo folded the scroll and closed his eyes. He couldn't believe what he had just read out. The Supreme God was unfair and he knew Chanyeol did not deserve it, neither did Baekhyun.

"No..." Kyungsoo said suddenly. He knew he would never be able to change the word of God but he could always alter it.

He looked at Chanyeol. "You will find each other, in every lifetime by the mark of phoenix on Baekhyun..."

Kyungsoo managed to say before a loud roar pierced through the air.

"Stop" the voice said and Kyungsoo stopped. He knew the word of a god was the final word and there was nothing even the Supreme God could do to change it now.

"You may find each other, but you will never be together on earth" the loud voice echoed one last time before everything went quiet.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


*******************************

PRESET TIME

*******************************

When Chanyeol opened his eyes, he found himself holding his heart like it was aching. Baekhyun was still not out of it yet.

"Junmyeon" Chanyeol said and Junmyeon gave out a very sad smile.

"Now you know" he replied.

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun and he wanted to scream and go mad with joy at the same time. He finally understood why Baekhyun had affected him so bad.

"Why is he still not out yet?"

"He's savoring the memories, making it run slow" Junmyeon replied.

Just as Junmyeon said that, Baekhyun opened his eyes and the first thing he saw, was Chanyeol.

The moment his eyes fell on him, Baekhyun was overwhelmed with feeling he had never felt before. He immediately rushed over and wrapped his arms around Chanyeol.

"I missed you" Baekhyun said softly.

Chanyeol planted a soft kiss on top of Baekhyun's head. "I missed you too"

"Chanyeol" Junmyeon said, interrupting them. "There isn't much time"

Chanyeol did not understand what Junmyeon meant. "Time for what?"

Junmyeon directed his gaze towards Baekhyun's body that remained unmoved among the debris of the shattered car.

Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol looked over.

"No" Baekhyun suddenly screamed in horror. "I am not going back now. I am not leaving Chanyeol"

Chanyeol stood silent. Was this the debt he owed? Was this the unfinished business that Junmyeon had earlier talked about?

Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun and insurmountable affection ran through him.  He wanted to touch Baekhyun, to hug him, to hold him, to kiss him, to sleep next to him and compensate for all the time they'd lost together. But he knew there wasn't much he could do at the moment. 

Instead, he placed his hand below Baekhyun's chin, lifting his head up and sealing his lips in a kiss. Chanyeol swore he had never felt more human than he did when Baekhyun's lips were touching his. 

He pulled away slowly. "You need to go Baekhyun. You have a full life ahead of you"

"No" Baekhyun said again. "I am not leaving you this time. You can't make me go back. I want to be with you. That's all I ever wanted"

Chanyeol heard Baekhyun's voice breaking.

"I can't let you do that Baek" Chanyeol said, taking Baekhyun's hands in his and kissing them softly.

Baekhyun turned from Chanyeol to Junmyeon. 

"How long we've been going back and forth like this?" he asked.

Junmyeon did not answer.

"Tell me Junmyeon. How many lifetimes?"

Junmyeon did not meet their eyes. "372" was all he said.

Baekhyun wanted to laugh but his heart was killing him. He and Chanyeol have been played with for 372 lifetimes.

"Did we ever end up with each other in any of those 372 births?" Baekhyun went on to ask further.

Junmyeon simply shook his head. "You found each other in each of those lifetimes, you were lovers in most, friends in some but you always found each other. But it never ended well for either of you"

"Do you still want me to go back and live a life where this keeps happening repeatedly?" Baekhyun asked turning to Chanyeol. "I don't want to go back and live a life without you in it"

Chanyeol had so many questions he wanted to ask himself, so many things he wanted to say to Baekhyun and Junmyeon but he knew he was wasting precious time. 

Chanyeol could very well decide to let Baekhyun stay with him. They could go on wandering the earth as souls, forever. They wouldn't have to be born again, and go through this cycle of never-ending separation ever again.

But it would not be right. Baekhyun had a full life ahead of him. A life where Baekhyun would light up so many other people's lives like he had done for Chanyeol. A world with Baekhyun in it would be a better place and Chanyeol knew it.

He was tempted so let Baekhyun stay with him but he knew deep down that it was again his selfishness that made him think like that. He was done being selfish after the last time when it had destroyed so many innocent lives. Chanyeol would never do that again.

"I didn't get to say it to you last time" Chanyeol said and Baekhyun looked at him in confusion.

"I love you Baek. I love you so... so much"

"No......" Baekhyun's voice trailed off as Chanyeol zapped his soul back into his barely breathing body. 

 

Chanyeol and Junmyeon followed when Baekhyun was taken to the hospital shortly after.

"I am going to stay until he wakes up" Chanyeol said.

"He won't be able to see you anymore" Junmyeon said.

"Doesn't matter. I need to know he's fine first"

Junmyeon nodded, not uttering another word.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun woke up 3 months later, after a dreadful coma.

Chanyeol stood with Junmyeon on the foot of the bed that was surrounded by doctors who were examining him. They all seemed worried because Baekhyun had woken up crying, like he had been in a very long and a very morose dream.

Chanyeol saw him breath and with each one, he felt himself being able to breathe too.

"I am ready to go" he said and Junmyeon nodded.

He gave Baekhyun one final look and smiled.

"We'll see each other again" he whispered softly before being taken away by Junmyeon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


They were soon in heaven and Junmyeon had been waiting to ask Chanyeol something.

"Why did you take away Baekhyun's memories?" Junmyeon asked once they were seated.

Chanyeol let out a heavy breath. "He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he knew I was not there. I know he looks all fierce and strong but Baekhyun has a very fragile heart. The burden of him living and me being dead would be too much for him to bear"

Junmyeon nodded.

"I have a few questions myself" Chanyeol said.

"Go ahead"

"Why did you give me this mark?" Chanyeol asked, holding his hand out. 

"You would have turned into something evil if I had not marked you. When I found out your soul was unable to ascend, I had to do something to keep you as human as possible. Even if your mind didn't remember the phoenix, you heart did and that's what kept you sane for a hundred years"

Chanyeol nodded in appreciation. "Why did you pretend to be the Grim Reaper?" he asked next.

Junmyeon smiled. "It has always been me Chanyeol. For all your 372 lifetimes, it has only been me who has collected both your soul in hopes that it would be the last time and that you can finally ascend back to heaven"

Chanyeol couldn't form word to expresses how grateful he felt for having Junmyeon on his side.

"What else do you want to know?" Junmyeon asked, interrupting his thought.

"The Supreme God said Baekhyun and I would always be born in the same era. So why have I been dead for a hundred years?"

"Your soul was stuck because you had an unfinished business." Junmyeon said slowly.

"The the unfinished business... was it sending Baekhyun back"

The God of Water nodded. "In your last lifetime together, Baekhyun died saving you. You spent your entire remaining life hating yourself for not being able to protect him like you had promised him."

"You said it is a debt I owed to myself, Baekhyun and the universe. What did you mean?"

"You do not remember any of your last births, do you?" Junmyeon asked.

Chanyeol shook his head. Except for his life in Heaven, he did not remember anything else.

Junmyeon smiled. "Do you know what Baekhyun's profession has been in the multiple lifetimes you've spent together?"

Chanyeol shook his head again.

"In the 327 lives you and Baekhyun have lived, Baekhyun has been a doctor in each of them. A healer as they called him years ago"

Junmyeon saw that Chanyeol wasn't yet able to figure it out.

"The universe runs on cosmic balance Chanyeol. You must give what you get and get what you give. In all these 327 lifetimes, Baekhyun has saved the same number of people that you killed when you went against the Darkness"

Chanyeol's eyes widened. How was this even possible? All this while Chanyeol thought he had been repenting for the mistake he had made by killing all those innocent people but instead, it was Baekhyun who was paying his debt for him.

His eyes moistened.

"This is not fair Junmyeon. Why is Baekhyun the one who has to pay for my sins?"

Junmyeon shook his head. "He is not. You have paid for your sins already."

"How? I haven't done anything"

Junmyeon took Chanyeol's hand in his and patted it softly.

"With the exception of your last birth life, you have sacrificed your life for Baekhyun in each lifetime, making sure he lived while you died. You saved him in each one of those lives and the one life you saved, went on to save thousands of other lives"

Chanyeol could feel himself being drowned by his stupid decisions.

"How long will this go on?" he asked through his tears. "How much more does Baekhyun need to endure because of my mistake?"

"Look around Chanyeol" Junmyeon said and Chanyeol did. They were sitting in Junmyeon's chamber.

"Why do you think we are here and not in the Hall of Decisions?"

Chanyeol blinked. He hadn't even thought about it. Junmyeon was right. By now, Chanyeol should have been brought to the Hall of Decisions and they would have told him whether he belonged to Hell, Heaven or would be sent back to earth again.

"You mean...?" Chanyeol asked in bewilderment.

Junmyeon nodded with a smile. "Your punishment is over Chanyeol. And once Baekhyun has lived his full life on earth, you and him can be together again"  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*******************************

67 YEARS LATER

*******************************

"Are you ready?" Kyungsoo asked as he looked at Chanyeol fidgeting with his fingers nervously.

"I am not" Chanyeol confessed.

Kyungsoo gave out a laugh. "You've known each other for thousands of years and you're still so nervous?"

"Kyungsoo" Chanyeol said in bewilderment. "What if I screw up? What if I say something that will make Baek stop loving me? What if he has already stopped loving me?"

"Stop" Junmyeon said. "You're blabbering nonsense"

Chanyeol was about to say something when Kyungsoo interrupted.

"Here he comes"

Chanyeol's eyes tore away from his own fidgeting hands to the gates of heaven that had suddenly opened.

Walking through the River of Clouds, was Baekhyun, in all his glory and a smile that could put the sun to shame.

Chanyeol's heart skipped a beat when he saw Baekhyun walk towards him, their eyes fixed on each other.

"Welcome Bae..." Kyungsoo said but before he could finish, Baekhyun ran towards them and directly into Chanyeol's arms that he had opened for Baekhyun.

"I missed you so much" Baekhyun said, pulling Chanyeol by the hair and kissing him like it was only the two of them there.

"I missed you too" Chanyeol said into the kiss, making Baekhyun smile.

"Tell me how much you love me Chanyeol"

Chanyeol smiled. "More and more with every breath you take"

*******************************

THE END

*******************************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This final chapter was a rollercoaster ride.  
> I hope you like what I write even when I think it's absolute crap -_-
> 
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**Author's Note:**

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